The Case Of posts for Supporting Actress hopefuls reaches its end with Yuh-jung Youn for Lee Isaac Chung’s Minari. If you missed the previous four posts, they’re available here:
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/03/30/oscars-2020-the-case-of-maria-bakalova/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/04/06/oscars-2020-the-case-of-glenn-close/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/04/10/oscars-2020-the-case-of-olivia-colman/
https://toddmthatcher.com/2021/04/15/oscars-2020-the-case-of-amanda-seyfried/
The Case for Yuh-jung Youn:
Momentum. Already a legendary actress in South Korea, the 73-year-old has found American success with her role in Minari, which picked up a sturdy 6 nods on nomination morning. Youn has won the latest precursors to pick up steam with the SAG Awards and BAFTA.
The Case Against Yuh-jung Youn:
She has not fared as well with other precursors. Youn wasn’t nominated at the Golden Globes and lost the Critics Choice prize to Maria Bakalova (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm), who could be her stiffest competition. There’s also still the chance that the Academy will finally give Glenn Close (Hillbilly Elegy) her overdue trophy.
The Verdict
There was certainly a time where this acting race seemed like the biggest tossup. That has certainly been replaced by Best Actress. While I believe this category could go three different ways, Youn has emerged as the most likely candidate.
My Case Of posts will conclude with Lakeith Stanfield in Judas and the Black Messiah…